Hunt, Thomas, Dd

Hunt, Thomas, D.D.

a distinguished English Hebraist, was born in 1696. He studied at the University of Oxford, where he took the degree of M.A. in 1721. He was one of the first fellows of Hertford College, and applied himself especially to philosophical researches in the O. Test. He greatly assisted Walton in publishing the London Polyglot. In 1738 he was called to the chair of Arabic founded by Laud. In 1747 he became professor of Hebrew at Oxford; in 1740 he was mace fellow of the Royal Society of London, and received the degree of D.D. in 1744. He died at Oxford October 31, 1774. Hunt wrote De Benedictione patriarchae Jacoli (Oxford, 1724, 4to): — De antiquitate, elegantia et utilitate Linguce Arabicae (Oxford, 1739, 4to): — De Usu Dialectorum Orientalium, etc. (Oxford, 1748): — Observations on several Passages of the Book of Proverbs, with two Sermons (Oxford 1775, 4to), his best and a most valuable work, published after the author's death, under the care of Kennicott. (J. N. P.)